


mean something

by verity



Series: tween wolf [41]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Friendship, Gen, Magic, Research, Researcher Stiles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-27
Updated: 2013-05-27
Packaged: 2017-12-13 02:50:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 641
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/819101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/verity/pseuds/verity
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Lydia and Stiles are Mystery Solving Bros.</p>
            </blockquote>





	mean something

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Goodgriefcharlie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Goodgriefcharlie/gifts), [niyalune](https://archiveofourown.org/users/niyalune/gifts).



> This is update 2 of 2 for today.

When he squints, he can make out the sigil in the blurry image on the tenth page. "This is it," Stiles says to Lydia, passing it over the table. "Don't—don't read any of that aloud, okay, don't trace the mark or anything. That's—"

"Don't speak Latin to the books, got it," she says, sliding the notebook in front of her to the side. They're in the breakfast nook just off Lydia's kitchen; after they dropped Scott at home, Stiles headed back here. He isn't sure whether the conversation he's going to have with his dad will end in him being grounded forever or talking about Mom, but either way, he's not too thrilled about the outcome.

"So it feeds off… fear?" Stiles says. "Like, it doesn't just scare people because, woo, demon, scary, it's putting the terror popcorn in the microwave. Which—" Holy shit, the panic attack he had the first night Allison got here, and Erica's seizure—that might have been a coincidence, but he's never seen her as afraid of seizing as she was last night. Scott was all fangy by the time Stiles got to him, couldn't hold it together until they got close enough to touch and ground each other.

"That didn't happen when we went to the mall, or the grocery store, not like last night." Lydia squints at the faded type. "Allison isn't some diabolical wizard. She doesn't even know how to text, have you seen—"

Stiles, unfortunately, has. "Having a demon ride you is not exactly magic 101," he says. "It's amazing that she's not _dead_. She must be fucking terrified all the time to—"

They exchange a long glance.

"Why would anyone think demonic possession is a valid solution to their life problems?" Lydia says slowly.

"Well…" Stiles taps the eraser end of his pencil against the file folder. "Magic's not—I don't have any magic powers, I just… encourage stuff to do… magic stuff. There's power in connections with people, in intent, in the world around you—"

Lydia gives him a pointed look. "My lawn?"

Ignoring the brown grass and limp topiary outside, Stiles continues on. "Demons are pretty much raw power, so you can bypass all that stuff? I guess?"

"You guess," Lydia says. Her palpable disdain is undermined by the fact that she's leaning forward so far that she's about to slide off her seat.

Stiles rolls his eyes. "I'm not a demon expert. I don't even—I don't think I could call one, unless I used cross-stitch or something."

" _You_ cross-stitch," Lydia says. "Really?"

"It has to be personal," Stiles says. He's not embarrassed about his cross-stitch prowess; it's way better than his needlepoint, everything's on a grid. "However you do your magic—it has to mean something to you."

—

"You planning on coming home any time soon, son?" Dad says when Stiles picks up his phone on the second ring.

"Uh." Stiles sandwiches the phone between his shoulder and his ear so he can keep drawing the flowchart of Supernatural Conflicts In Beacon Hills, 2005-2011, Inclusive. "About that—"

"We have a guest," his dad says. "Your friend Allison. I need you to make sure that she's—safe."

"Is that—safe for me to be around, or you, or—maybe you should call Scott—" Stiles puts down his pen, shoves Lydia's notebook back toward her before he pulls his backpack onto his lap. Lydia frowns at him.

"Stiles," his dad says firmly. "I can take care of myself. You—we can talk about that later. Just come home."

"O— _kay_ ," Stiles says. "Be there in twenty."

Lydia clears her throat after he hangs up. "Going somewhere? We were just getting started."

"Fine, Sherlock Holmes," he says, sliding the file folder into his backpack. "Come with. I've gotta talk to Allison before she goes Cookie Monster on anyone else."

**Author's Note:**

> "Don't speak Latin to the books" is all Joss, not me.
> 
> I'm [ladyofthelog](http://ladyofthelog.tumblr.com) on tumblr.
> 
> (p.s. taking a tiny break from tween wolf - will return on monday, june 3, just like the real show does <3)


End file.
